Gov. Kemp Announces 94 Appointments to State Boards, Authorities, and Commissions

Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the appointment and re-appointment of the following 94 Georgians to various state boards, authorities, and commissions.

Board of Community Affairs

Jerald Mitchell is the President and CEO of the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce, which also operates the Columbus Development Authority. In this role, he is focused on growing the local economy by keeping businesses connected and attracting new jobs and investment through various marketing strategies. Mitchell has worked in the economic development field for over 15 years in various roles, including Vice President of Economic Development at the Atlanta Beltline, Inc., Director at the Savannah Economic Development Authority, and Regional Project Manager at the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Prior to his Economic Development and Chamber of Commerce roles, worked in the communication technology and innovation space for over ten years, serving in roles with Comcast/NBC Universal and Time Warner. Mitchell was named among the 100 Most Influential Georgians three years in a row, among the Georgia 500 two years in a row, and served as President of Leadership Georgia. He earned an Executive MBA in Global Business from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor's in Economics from Georgia Southern. He has served as Vice Chair of the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission, was a member of the Georgia Workforce Development Board, and serves on the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors.

Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission

Jeffrey C. Dantzler is a longtime, award-winning broadcaster, speaker, writer, and media personality who serves in a variety of capacities, primarily for the University of Georgia. The play-by-play voice of UGA Baseball and Women's Basketball, Dantzler also co-hosts the Georgia football pre-and post-game shows and the UGA Sunday morning recap show - The Bulldog Brunch - on the Bulldog Sports Network. On the SEC Network-plus, he is known for his play-by-play coverage of men's basketball and women's soccer games. Dantzler also has experience as TV lead for football, baseball, tennis, volleyball, and swimming and diving. He is a frequent guest on national, regional, and web-based broadcasts, and he also co-founded and serves as sports editor for Bulldawg Illustrated magazine. Dantzler has broadcast from College Football National Championship Games and major bowls, called three Final Fours, four College World Series, multiple SEC Championships, and covered three Olympic Games (London, Sochi, and Rio de Janeiro) for the Olympic Broadcasting Service. In November of 2022, Dantzler was the emcee at Hall of Fame UGA Football Coach and Athletic Director Vince Dooley's Celebration of Life. A Statesboro native, Dantzler graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Political Science.

Donna H. Sheldon is a former member of the Georgia House of Representative. She served in the State Legislator for over a decade. During this time, she became Chair of the House Majority Caucus. Prior to joining the General Assembly, Sheldon was a founder and director of the Master’s Academy of Fine Arts in Dacula, now known as the Dacula Classical Academy. She currently helps manage the operations of Bob Sheldon, Inc. Sheldon attended the University of North Georgia. She and her husband, Bob, have two children and reside in Dacula.

Professional Standards Commission

James V. Atkins, Jr.; Elizabeth Jordan Frobos; Holley M. Roberts; Brandon S. Seigler; and Carol Williams were reappointed.

Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

Joe B. Vignati has been involved in all aspects of Georgia’s juvenile justice system for the past 35 years, tirelessly serving at-risk youth in a wide variety of roles, both in his career with state government and as a volunteer in community settings. During his career, he successfully secured $67 million in federal criminal justice funds for the State of Georgia. He also served as Assistant Commissioner/Chief of Staff for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice in 2017 before retiring from state service. From 2019 to 2021, Vignati served as Chair of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice at the U.S. Department of Justice and was responsible for advising the President and the U.S. Congress on juvenile justice matters.

Vignati holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Augusta University and graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in Public Administration from Georgia State University. He and his wife, Kathryn, live in Tucker and have 4 adult children.

State Commission on Family Violence

Tomeika R. Daniel, Barbabra Jo Neville, Janet Paulsen, and Brad L. Rigby were reappointed.

Nina Markette Baker is a Superior Court Judge in the Coweta Judicial Circuit. Appointed to the bench in 2019, she is the first female superior court judge appointed in the history of the Coweta Judicial Circuit. Prior to her appointment, Baker served as the Troup County Solicitor General and was elected for four consecutive terms. In 2017, her peers recognized Baker as Georgia Solicitor-General of the Year. Previously, she practiced bankruptcy and family law at Whatley, Baker & Baker, P.C. and served as an associate municipal judge for the City of LaGrange. Baker also represented families on the Troup County Juvenile Indigent Panel for the Troup County Juvenile Court.

Baker earned a bachelor’s from Converse College and her J.D. from Mississippi College School of Law. She and her husband, James, have two children and live in LaGrange.

Jamie L. Bormann is the Deputy Director for Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia. During her 17 years with Crisis Line & Safe House, she has worked in a variety of roles, including working directly with children at the shelter, with adults whose victimization led to Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) involvement, and with victims navigating the criminal justice system. During her career, she has facilitated training for various audiences, including DFCS workers, law enforcement, advocates, prosecutors, and faith leaders. She is a current Board Member for the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, past Chair of the Central Georgia Council on Family Violence, and an active participant in a statewide task force focusing on Domestic Violence Courts in Georgia.

Bormann co-authored an article published in the American Bar Association’s Family Law Quarterly titled “Lessons from a Pandemic: The Georgia TPO Forum’s Recommendations for Strengthening Protections Against Domestic Violence.” She is the 2016 recipient of the "In the Trenches Award" from the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in part for her work to expand services to victims in rural communities of Central Georgia. Bormann obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Mercer University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati.

Stephen Bradley is a Superior Court Judge for the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit, serving the people of Morgan, Greene, Jasper, Putnam, Baldwin, Jones, Wilkinson, and Hancock Counties. In 1994, he joined the District Attorney’s office as an Assistant D.A., personally handling more than twelve thousand felony cases. He then became District Attorney in 2015 and oversaw the expansion of victims services, beginning a circuit-wide Domestic Violence Task Force and opening the Circuit’s first child advocacy center - the Bright House. In 2020, Bradley was elected to the Superior Court Bench.

Active with youth in the community, Bradley is a founding coach for the Baldwin County High School Mock Trial Team and has served as District Chair for the Boy Scouts of America and on the vestry of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. He also served as President of the Ocmulgee Circuit Bar. Bradley earned his undergraduate degree from Emory University, graduating cum laude, and obtained his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law. He and his wife, Lisa, have two daughters.

Lindsay H. Burton has worked within the Northeastern Judicial Circuit for more than two decades. She began her legal career in the District Attorney’s Office and was appointed Chief Assistant, focusing on violent and child victim cases towards the end of her tenure. In 2013, she was appointed to the juvenile court bench and became Chief Juvenile Court Judge in 2014, presiding over many cases involving abused and neglected children. Burton was also active with the Council of Juvenile Court Judges where she was co-chair of the Uniform Rules Committee and served on the Executive Committee. During her tenure as a juvenile court judge, she was also appointed to the Justice for Children Committee, which she continues to serve on today.

Earlier this year, Burton joined the Superior Court bench and currently presides over PAC (parent accountability court) and REACT (re-entry accountability court track), a pilot project for state prison inmates. Burton earned her bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and her law degree from Villanova University.

Anna L. Thomas is a Special Victims Forensic Specialist and manager of the Division of Aging Services and GBI CADE Taskforce. Thomas is a Certified At-Risk Adult Crime Tactics Specialist and is the co-instructor of a two-day course that equips first and secondary responders with the skills necessary to investigate at-risk adult abuse cases. She has also partnered with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council to assist judicial circuits in developing and successfully launching multi-disciplinary teams for at-risk adult abuse, serving as the liaison for the Forensic Special Initiative Unit. Additionally, she serves as the instructor for the Elder Abuse track with the CJCC Victim Advocate Academy and is part of a national collaboration with the DOJ and other states to bring awareness to the emerging crime of trafficking at-risk adults.

Thomas earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of Georgia and a master’s in Gerontology from Brenau University. She is a member of the Human Trafficking Task Force, the Transitional Elder Strike Force, the Georgia Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Advisory Council, and the CJCC Steering Committee.

Georgia Environmental Finance Authority

Wesley Eugene Cason, Scott M. Orenstein, Rick Story, Michael Young, Christopher Hightower, and Ted M. Rumley were reappointed.

Georgia Board of Landscape Architects

Betsey Norton is an environmental horticulturist with over 25 years of service in industry serving north Georgia and metro Atlanta. Currently, she works in business development for the Atlanta area at MNI Direct wholesale plant nursery. Norton’s experience include landscape design and construction, specialty horticultural services and maintenance, and nursery management. Recognized as Woman of Power and Influence by The Atlantan Magazine, she also received the Jake Tinga Young Professional of the Year award in 2015. She also volunteers as a youth softball coach. Norton and her husband, David, have two daughters.

Jon Calabria a licensed landscape architect and associate professor at The University of Georgia's College of Environment & Design. Calabria teaches students to conserve and restore enduring landscapes that improve environmental quality within the human context. His research includes landscape performance and the amelioration of land use impacts on freshwater and coastal systems. In 2016, Calabria was awarded the UGA Creating Teaching Award. He was a Landscape Architecture Foundation 2018 Case Study Investigation (CSI) Research Fellow, Public Service and Outreach Marine Extension Fellow, and a Thinking Like a River Fellow 2013. He is a Certified Ecological Designer with the American Ecological Engineering Society and has received many design awards from professional organizations. Calabria earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia, before going on to Clemson University to earn his Master of Landscape Architecture and PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology.

State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors

Clark Butler is a principal at 360 Residential and Pine Apartment Development. He began his career working for Baker Concrete Construction while completing his college degree from Southern Tech. As his career progressed, Butler worked for McDevitt Street and RJ Griffin general contractors before deciding to focus on the construction and development of rental apartments with Post Properties. After Post Properties, he went out on his own to construct and develop rental apartments in Orange County, California; Naples, Florida; Ft. Myers, Florida; Panama City Beach, Florida; Tucker, Georgia; and Cumming, Georgia. In addition, Butler has developed rental apartments in New York, New York; Washington D.C.; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Tampa, Florida.

Kenna Scragg is the president of ICB Construction Group. Scragg joined ICB in 2013 as VP of Operations before assuming his current role in 2017. Prior to ICB, he was a Regional Manager for the Georgia offices with Charles Perry Partners Inc. and was a partner and VP of Operations at Parrish Construction Group. Scragg received his bachelor’s degree in construction management from the University of Florida and is a licensed contractor in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina.

Robbie Sovie is the Executive Vice President of Development and Construction at T5 Data Centers. In his role, he leads development efforts in the implementation of T5’s built-to-suit and wholesale data center projects which include but are not limited to design, construction, security implementation, commissioning, and successful turnover to the facility management team. Sovie has over fifteen years of experience in the construction industry. He started his career as a baseball player with the Detroit Tigers, but after sustaining an injury, he decided to pursue a degree in engineering. Sovie worked as a field engineer for Western Carolina University before joining Holder Construction Company as a senior engineer. While at Holder, Sovie managed construction projects ranging from $1 million to $100 million. In his current role at T5, Sovie is responsible for the development and construction of data centers across the United States. He earned his bachelor’s degree in construction management at Western Carolina University.

State Board of Examiners of Psychologists

Linda F. Campbell was reappointed.

Javel Jackson received her doctorate from the Virginia Consortium for Professional Psychology. She has worked as a psychology professor at McLennan Community College in Waco TX, a therapist and graduate-level professor at Old Dominion University, and a psychologist for New Life Clinics. She served as Clinical Director overseeing the clinical work within the mental health program at Metro State Prison in Atlanta and was a psychologist at Lee Arrendale State Prison in Alto, GA. Formerly, she was the Chief Psychologist then Statewide Mental Health Director for the Georgia Department of Corrections. Currently, Jackson has a private practice in the metro Atlanta area and has the Authority to Practice interdisciplinary telepsychology from the PSYPACT Commission. Also, she is a psychologist at Georgia Regional Hospital-Atlanta. In addition, she has served on the Composite Board and is presently an Institutional Research Board member for Georgia State University and the Department of Public Health. Furthermore, she has served as secretary and president of the International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology.

Bob T. Jones is a clinical psychologist and Partner at the Behavioral Institute of Atlanta where he specializes in general practice, sports and exercise psychology, pain management, executive coaching, clinical hypnosis, and integrative mental health. He currently serves on the Truth in Education Board of Directors and the Advisory Committee for the Canadian Robert T. Jones, Jr. Scholarship Program. Jones earned his bachelor’s from Bottomeo College of Ohio, his Master of Divinity from Saint Meinrad School of Theology, a Master of Arts, and a Doctor of Psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology. He has also served on the Board of Directors for Summit Counseling Centers. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, the Society of Psychological Hypnosis, the Association for the Advancement of Sports Psychology, the Society for Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, and the C.G. Jung Society of Atlanta.

Colin Muething received his doctorate in school psychology from The University of Texas at Austin and completed his doctoral internship and post-doctoral residency at Marcus Autism Center. Muething is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and a Psychologist in the Severe Behavior Program at Marcus Autism Center, where he serves as Program Manager of the Day Treatment Program. Muething was recently appointed President-Elect of the Georgia Association of Behavior Analysis. He also serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Behavioral Education and the Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities. His research interests include assessment and treatment for severe problem behavior, the mechanisms that mediate treatment effectiveness, and reporting large outcomes from these treatments.

Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agency

Christopher Hosey was appointed by Governor Kemp to serve as Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation effective August 1, 2023. During his 35 years with the Bureau, Hosey was promoted to every sworn supervisor rank in the Investigative Division. Director Hosey began his career with the GBI in 1987 as a Narcotics Agent with the Local Violators Squad. In 2001, Hosey was promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge of a multi-jurisdictional drug task force. He also helped to create the GBI’s first state/local regional drug enforcement office (RDEO). From 2008-2012, Hosey served as Special Agent in Charge at Region 5 Statesboro Office and at Savannah RDEO. In 2012, he was promoted to Inspector, overseeing drug operations, various general investigative offices, and the GBI Training Unit. In October 2020, former GBI Director Vic Reynolds appointed Hosey as Division Director for the Investigative Division. In November 2022, former GBI Director Michael Register appointed him as Assistant Director. Hosey has served as a GBI Warrant Service Instructor, GBI Firearms Instructor, and Use of Force Instructor. He helped create and is a member of the GBI’s Special Enforcement Team. He also serves as a Board Member for the National Alliance of State Drug Enforcement Agencies, a Use of Force Committee Member of the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, and a certified Advanced Emergency Medical Technician.

State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia

Charles “Charlie” Fiveash currently serves as Executive Director of Partnership Habersham. Prior to his role at Partnership Habersham, Fiveash spent 35 years in commercial and industrial real estate as a developer and broker. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at Gwinnett Technical College and a past president of the National Association of Industrial & Office Parks. An active member of his community, Fiveash is involved in many civic and professional organizations. He is an alumnus of the University of Georgia and has his Master of Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Fiveash and his wife, Lang, have three children and are members of Christ Presbyterian Church in Clarkesville.

Georgia Council for the Arts

Emanuel Jones was elected to the Georgia State Senate from the 10th District in 2004. Jones serves as the Chairman of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council and has led the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. He plays an active role in various Senate committees, including Banking and Financial Institutions, Economic Development and Tourism, Interstate Cooperation, Special Judiciary, and Retirement. Beyond politics, Jones is the President of the Legacy Automotive Group, a successful business encompassing Legacy Chevrolet Cadillac Saab of Columbus and Legacy Ford of McDonough. Notably, he's been honored with several awards and distinctions, including the Global Peace Festival Award and recognition as one of Atlanta Tribune Magazine's "Men of Distinction." His accomplishments extend to the educational realm, with an MBA in Finance/Accounting from Columbia University and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Jones, a former Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is deeply rooted in community service, having contributed to numerous organizations such as Henry Medical Center, YMCA, United Way, and various educational institutions. He resides in Ellenwood with his wife and children and is a devoted deacon at the Shiloh Baptist Church.

Georgia Council for the Arts - Chairperson

Gladys Wyant served as Executive Director of the Arts Council, Inc. Gainesville, Georgia for 38 years. Under her leadership, the Arts Council negotiated, raised funds, and purchased the 1914 CSX Transportation depot and 2 1/2 acres of downtown Gainesville. Additional funds were raised to rehabilitate for adaptive reuse the former Gainesville Midland Railroad property as a new Arts Council center, later named the Arts Council Smithgall Arts Center. In 1996, she also served as the chairman for the Cultural Olympiad arm in Gainesville for the Olympic Games along with two major festivals prior to the Olympics: Celebrate Mexico and Celebrate Africa. Wyant was responsible for the facilitation of the gift to the Arts Council of the former First Methodist/Westminster Presbyterian Church, now called the Arts Performing Arts Council Complex. During the COVID pandemic, Wyant was able to fulfill a multi-year dream of developing and building the outdoor stage/pavilion through private funds raised over the past several years. The Arts Council board recently honored her by naming the new facility the Gladys Wyant Performing Arts Pavilion, which is on the campus of the Arts Council Smithgall Arts Center on Spring St. Through her 38 years of service to the Arts Council and through other public and private partnerships with the City, County, Brenau University, University of North Georgia, and local corporations and schools, Gladys has contracted local, state, regional, national, and international performing artists to grace the stages of almost all of the performing arts venues throughout Hall County and beyond. She is an active member of many professional and community organizations. She was a founding director of the Lake Lanier Convention and Visitors Bureau where she continues to serve today as an honorary member. Wyant and her husband, Joe, have two adult children and four grandchildren.

North Georgia Mountains Authority

Paul Shailendra serves as President of SG Property Services (SGPS), a full-service real estate development and investment firm. He has been involved in the real estate and commercial development industry for most of his life – and is proud that SGPS continues to provide successful and exciting opportunities today for their clients and investors. Shailendra graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. As an alumnus of Woodward Academy, he sits on the Advisory Council for the private institution. Prior to beginning his real estate career, he worked on the staff of a U.S. Senator in Washington D.C. Paul has been actively engaged in many local and national non-profit organizations and enjoys his involvement in community organizations. He is a past member of the Government Affairs Council of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Real Estate Committee for the Woodruff Arts Center, Waterfowl USA, and other outdoor sports organizations. Shailendra is also a past Vice President of People-TV, a board member of the Metro Atlanta YMCA, chair of the YCEO, the Board of Directors of the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce, a member of the 2007 class of L.E.A.D Atlanta, and a member of the 2011 class of Leadership Georgia. Shailendra currently serves on the Board of the College of Civil & Environmental Engineering and the Tharpe Fund at Georgia Tech and as chair of the Buckhead chapter of Ducks Unlimited. In 2013, Shailendra was appointed by the Governor to the board of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and in 2015, he was appointed to the Ft. McPherson Authority for a four-year term. In 2017, he was appointed to a three-year term to the Board of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association. Shailendra resides in Atlanta with his wife, Amanda, and their two daughters.

State Board of Funeral Service

Bryant Hightower was reappointed.

Board of Directors of the State Employees’ Assurance Department

Homer Bryson is Treasurer of the Peace Officers’ Annuity and Benefit Fund, the Magistrates Retirement Fund, the Judges of the Probate Courts Retirement Fund, and the Superior Court Clerk’s Retirement Fund. Additionally, he serves as Chair of the Employee Retirement System of Georgia Board and as a member of the Georgia State Indemnification Commission. He previously served in leadership roles for the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the Georgia Department of Corrections, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Bryson was formerly a deputy with the Ware County Sheriff's Office.

Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Authority

Brian Jordan is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and National Football League safety. For almost 20 years, Jordan has helped make sports history as a leader on both the baseball and football fields. In the NFL, he played for the Atlanta Falcons. When playing MLB he played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Texas Rangers. Jordan is an Emmy award-winning sports analyst for Bally Sports South and a recurring broadcast personality for the MLB Network, Sports South, and ESPN. In 1998, he founded the Brian Jordan Foundation, a non-profit organization providing education, literacy, and physical and mental resources to help young people and their families. Now, a highly sought-after speaker, analyst, and author, Jordan, has most recently become a best-selling children’s book author, having published several books: “I Told You I Can Play,” “Overcoming the Fear of the Baseball,” “Time-Out For Bullies,” and “The Adventures of Champ Jr. The Mystery Behind Doggy Lane.” Jordan serves on the Morehouse School of Medicine Board. Most importantly, he has privately funded a wellness center for Grady Hospital employees and full college scholarships and mentorships for several students and young athletes. Jordan is also an ambassador and public advocate for the YMCA, the American Diabetes Association, and Boy Scouts of America. He has been honored as the Boy Scouts Peach of an Athlete Role Model award, and inducted into the Virginia Hall of Fame as well as the University of Richmond Hall of Fame. In 2022, Jordan was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, recognizing his accomplishments on the field as both an Atlanta Falcon and an Atlanta Braves Baseball player.

State Board of Examiners for Certification of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators and Laboratory Analysts

Kartik H. Bhatt, Kenny Green, Gilbert B. Shearhouse, and Debra Jean Wright were reappointed.

Asmita Patel is a Senior Environmental Engineer with the Drinking Water Permitting and Engineering Unit within the Watershed Protection Branch of the Environmental Protection Division. In her role, she is responsible for issuing permits to public drinking water systems, reviewing and approving Engineering Documents related to drinking water projects, and performing the State Environmental Review for projects funded by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) to assist public water systems finance the costs of infrastructure needed to achieve or maintain compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements and to protect public health. Patel is also the state lead for the operator certification program. As the lead for the program, she is responsible for preparing the Annual Operator Certification Report for submission to USEPA demonstrating adequately that the State of Georgia is effectively implementing its operator certification program. She graduated with a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Syracuse University, New York.

State Board of Hearing Aid Dealers and Dispensers

Sandi Darby-Bowling is a Licensed Hearing Aid Dispenser who has been helping the hearing impaired for 21 years. She is passionate about helping people hear better, so during her career she has mentored and sponsored other individuals to become Licensed Hearing Aid Dispensers. Presently she serves as a proctor for the Georgia Practical Exam. She is a current member of the International Hearing Society (IHS). Darby-Bowling is an active member of the Board of Directors for the Georgia Society of Hearing Professionals (GSOHP). She was nominated and voted as membership chair for the the Board of Director and served for 15 years. Currently, she is serving as Vice President of the GSOHP. She is a native of Georgia and resides in Walton County with her husband, Doug.

Georgia Real Estate Appraisers Board

William Murray was reappointed.

Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission

Curtis L. Jones, Jr. is a nationally recognized educational leader with more than 45 years of public service. He is currently working with the Georgia School Superintendents Association (GSSA) as its Superintendent in Residence. In this capacity, he advises, mentors, and collaborates with Georgia school superintendents as they navigate the rough waters of the superintendency. Prior to joining GSSA, Jones spent 25 years as an educational leader, and thirteen as a school superintendent. Most noteworthy during this time, one district’s graduation rate increased from 57 percent to 82 percent, and another was recognized as a Distinguished Title District of the Year. On an individual level, Jones is the 2019 National Superintendent of the Year. Other awards include Georgia Superintendent of Year, two Georgia Superintendent of Year Finalists awards, GSSA’s Past President’s gavel, the Bill Barr Award, and AdvancED’s Georgia’s Excellence in Education Award. Before his educational career, Jones served in the United States Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel after a twenty-year career. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and he earned a doctorate degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He and his wife, Evelyn, have three children.

Georgia Board of Massage Therapy

Jane B. Curry was reappointed.

Dandy “Dan” Nichols is an esteemed neuromuscular specialist and the visionary founder of Bodymedics. He earned the USA Pro Sports Massage Certification while interning under renowned sports massage therapy expert Mike McGillicuddy, collaborating with the athletic department at the University of Central Florida. His expertise encompasses full-body neuromuscular certification through the NMT Center, active isolated stretching with Aaron Mattes and Stretching USA, and Active Release Technique with Dr. P. Michael Leahy. Proficient in addressing soft tissue injuries across various areas in one session and managing chronic pain patterns for enhanced performance, he also holds certifications in Myofascial Release, Active Release, Trigger Point Release, Active Isolated Stretching, Swedish massage, and Sports massage. Passionate about bringing consistent clinical massage to patients, he aims to cultivate an organization that empowers professional therapists through technical training and business leadership.

Alcovy Circuit Public Defender Supervisory Panel

David LaMalva has practiced law for three decades, holding degrees from the University of Georgia (UGA) Terry College of Business and UGA School of Law. Notably, he served as Assistant Public Defender and later Chief Public Defender in Rockdale County (1994-1997). LaMalva’s commitment to law extended to Judge for Rockdale Juvenile Traffic Court and roles in Conyers Housing Authority Board and Rockdale Sheriff’s Department Disciplinary Board. He presided over the Rockdale Judicial Circuit Public Defender Advisory Council, led the Rockdale County Bar Association, and contributed to the Georgia Legal Services Board, Judge Horace J. Johnson, Jr. Beyond the Bar Board, and Monroe Golf and Country Club Board. As a member of Walton, Newton, and Rockdale Counties’ Bar Associations, his dedication to growth and community engagement endures. Based in Monroe, Georgia, he shares life with Anne, a Special Assistant Attorney General for child support matters.

Board of Commissioners of the Superior Court Clerks’ Retirement Fund of Georgia

Richard “Rick” Dunn is the Director of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget (OPB). Dunn previously served as Director of the Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division. Previously, he worked as the Deputy Director of OPB, first beginning his tenure there in 2011. He has held multiple leadership roles in various state agencies, including positions with the Department of Human Resources, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Governor’s Office of Children and Families, and as Chairman of the Georgia Occupational Regulation Review Council. Prior to his career in public service, Dunn taught courses on politics and public policy at Dickinson College and the College of Charleston. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a master’s degree from the University of Georgia. Dunn and his wife, Susan, have one son and reside in Atlanta.

Georgia Child Support Commission

Charles Clay, Katie Connell, Lisa Jones, Michael Key, Regina Quick, Christina Scott, and Roger Tutterow were reappointed.

Capitol Arts Standards Commission

Rachel Dodsworth and Martin “Marty” Smith were reappointed.

Kerry Dyer is the Chief Operations Officer at the Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS). Dyer joined GDVS in April 2018 as the manager of the office at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. A native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, he enlisted in 1988 and graduated from One Station Unit Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky as a Cavalry Scout. He served his Army career in Troop Cavalry units at every level of the noncommissioned officer ranks, including three years as a Drill Sergeant at Fort Knox. Dyer also served two separate tours at Fort Polk, Louisiana, as a Troop Section Leader, and later as a Scout Anti-Tank Platoon Sergeant. While assigned to Fort Polk, his unit deployed to Haiti for five months. Dyer was also assigned to Troop Cavalry Units in Germany for eight years on three separate occasions, during which his units were deployed to Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Between assignments to Germany, he attained the rank of Sergeant Major and held the rank of Command Sergeant Major for the 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division for two years. After spending a year in the Office of the Sergeant Major of the Army in Washington, D.C., Dyer ended his Army career as the Chief Military Science Instructor at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega in December 2017. Dyer is a member of the prestigious Sergeant Audie Murphy and Sergeant Morales Clubs. He has an associate degree from the University of Maryland, a bachelor’s degree from Excelsior College, and a master’s from Webster University.

Sexual Offender Risk Review Board

Ezell Brown, Raymond Frank Mullis, Jr., and Lori K. Rozier were reappointed.

James V. Chafin currently serves as an Assistant District Attorney for the Piedmont Judicial Circuit. He has been practicing law for 24 years. Chafin has served as an Assistant District Attorney in Jackson County since 2022. He was previously employed as a Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney in the Western Judicial Circuit, where he served both Clarke County and Oconee County for 15 years. During his time as a prosecutor, he has prosecuted cases involving various crimes, including murder, rape, child molestation, human trafficking, and criminal street gangs. In between his time serving the citizens of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit and the Western Judicial Circuit, he was in private practice in Athens, Georgia with the law firm of Daniels & Rothman, P.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Georgia and a Juris Doctor from Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law. He and his wife Patricia reside in Athens and have two daughters.

Johnny “Robbie” Frederick is president and polygraph examiner for Frederick Polygraph, LLC. He is responsible for business operations, management, conducting and reporting on polygraph examinations, and conducting quality assurance reviews of conducted exams, in support of attorneys, police departments, other government agencies, and private clients. He also conducts internship training programs for law enforcement examiners and Post Conviction Sex Offender Testing (PCSOT) exams. Additionally, Frederick is the director and an instructor at the American Institute of Polygraph. Frederick spent 30 years with the Clayton County Police Department, retiring as a Captain in 2016.

Jim Morton is the founder and director of A.R.P. Counseling, where he specializes in the evaluation and treatment of juvenile and adult sexual offenders, treatment of adjudicated domestic violence perpetrators, conducting anger management interventions, mental illness diagnosis, and screening specializing in the treatment of adult sexual offenders. He also conducts domestic violence and sexual offender evaluations for the Department of Community Supervision and Juvenile Court. He is a team leader and director of the Rockdale Family Support Program, which provided in-home counseling to children and families for six years in Rockdale County. Since 2006, Morton has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate in the Rockdale Judicial Circuit. He received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Clemson University and his master’s in community counseling from Georgia State University. Morton is a Licensed Professional Counselor and holds several special certifications and qualifications.

Board of Trustees of the Georgia Firefighters’ Pension Fund

Don T. Floyd was reappointed.

Board of Public Health

Kathryn Cheek and Mychal H. Walker, Sr. were reappointed.

Georgia Child Fatality Review Panel

Carolyn Altman, Thomas B. Hammond, Richard Hawk, Randal “Randy” McGinley, and Jinger Robins were reappointed.

Nick Ellis serves as the uniform patrol and administrative division commander and holds the rank of captain with the City of Jesup Police Department. Ellis is a graduate of the Wayne County School System and a current student at Columbia College in South Carolina. Active in the Wayne County community, Ellis serves as the immediate past chairman of the Boys and Girls Club of the Altamaha Area and was named to the Georgia Division Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame in August 2022. He is a member of the Leadership Wayne County steering committee, as well as an ordained elder and current leader of New Creation Ministries Jesup administrative and youth ministries. Ellis is also the Southern States Police Benevolence Association's Georgia Division Senior Vice President. Ellis has served as a member of the Georgia Board of Public Safety and chaired the Wayne County School Safety Committee since 2020. In 2014, Ellis was elected to the Wayne County Board of Education and completed his second term on December 31, 2022. Ellis chaired the Wayne County Board for 7 1/2 years and has been a member and District 8 Director of the Georgia School Boards Association since 2019. He was appointed to the State Board of Education in January 2023. Ellis and his wife, Krystal, have three children.

Geoffrey Smith is the Chief Medical Examiner for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Division of Forensic Sciences. Smith earned his medical degree from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, graduating in 1984, and practicing primary care and emergency medicine. He emigrated to the United States in 1991, and from 1992-1995, undertook residency in Anatomic Pathology at Emory University Affiliated Hospitals. Fellowship training in Forensic Pathology at the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office from 1995-1996 was followed by work as an Associate Medical Examiner/Deputy Chief Medical Examiner at the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office (1996-1997, 2004-2013), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation State Medical Examiner’s Office (1997-2004), and the Dekalb County Medical Examiner’s Office (2013-2022). Smith is certified by the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic Pathology (1995) and Forensic Pathology (1997) and has a special interest in the education and training of pathology residents and fellows.

State Water Well Standards Advisory Council

Jerry Kevin Colwell and Albert Jarrell Greene were reappointed.

Council on American Indian Concerns

Terry Raber was reappointed.

Paul M. Brannen is a member of the Cherokee of Georgia Tribal Council and has been involved with the tribe for nearly two decades. As an enrolled member, he sits on the Council of Elders and participates in cultural outreach and sensitivity programs such as the Atlanta Braves working group, coordinating presentations at Georgia schools, and facilitating cultural exchange initiatives. Additionally, he is on the organizational committee for the Cherokee of Georgia Tribal Council's two annual powwows which take place in April and October. Brannen and his wife, Rachel, who is a council member for Higuayagua Taino of the Caribbean, have three children and are deeply involved as a family with preserving and promoting their shared heritages.

Rhonda D. Bennett is the Council Chair of the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee, a position she has held for the past eight years. Bennett is the owner and president of Child Care Concepts, Inc. She has been in the childcare industry for over two decades and currently has 4 childcare locations, servicing approximately 500 families. She is also the owner and CFO of DahloneGo, Inc, a transportation company she and her husband founded in 2021. Their business caters to tourists visiting the Dahlonega area, providing wedding transportation, winery tours, as well as gold mining tours, and Cherokee history tours. She and her husband, James, reside in Dahlonega.

State Board of Long-Term Care Facility Administrators

Darcy Watson is a licensed Nursing Home Administrator and Registered Nurse. She currently works as a Healthcare Science Instructor in the Fayette County School System. She was previously the administrator for Brightmoor Nursing Center in Griffin, Georgia, as well as the former regional vice president for Westbury Administrative Services where she managed the overall day-to-day operations of skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers in the State of Georgia. Watson has held many positions of clinical and administrative leadership over the past 25 years. She began her career in long-term care as a teen volunteer in Georgia’s first inpatient Alzheimer’s dwelling at Christian City Convalescent Center and her first “official” job was as a dietary aide in the same center. Later, she went on to pursue nursing, where she would develop the skill set and leadership traits that would ultimately guide her to bring positive changes to many Georgia nursing facilities.

Certificate of Need Appeals Panel

Ron E. Daniels is a consumer protection trial lawyer and managing partner at Daniels Law LLC. Daniels currently serves as the 76th President of the Young Lawyers Division for the State Bar of Georgia. Since 2014, he has served as Special Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Child Support Services in the Oconee Judicial District. Daniels received his bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southwestern State University before earning his J.D. from Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law.

Georgia State Board of Architects and Interior Designers

Laurie McRae was reappointed.

Board of Commissioners of the Sheriffs’ Retirement Fund of Georgia

Joseph “Joe” Chapman and Judson “Jud” Smith were reappointed.

Board of Human Services

Wes Lewis and Randall P. Smith were reappointed.

State Board of Pharmacy

James “Jim” Bracewell was reappointed.

Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame Board

Joey Hand was reappointed.